The Bureau oversees the following divisions and programs: Perinatal, Early Childhood and
Special Needs; Maternal and Child Health Block Grant; Center for Birth Defects Research and
Prevention; Nutrition and the Office of Data Translation.

The goal of the division is to
reduce rates of infant mortality and low birthweight, to prevent health and
developmental problems in infants and children, and to improve the long-term
health outcomes in families by targeting services in the reproductive,
childhood, and adolescent years. The division strives to reduce barriers to
prenatal services, pediatric care and family planning services; and to provide
primary care, and family support services to women of reproductive age, women
who are pregnant, children and youth in a manner sensitive to individual needs
and cultures. Its programs include: Early Intervention; FIRSTLink Initiative; F.O.R. Families (co-run with the
Department of Transitional Assistance,see S6
for more information); Safe Motherhood
and Universal Newborn Hearing Screening The division also plans, implements and evaluates public health programs for children
with special health needs and their families. This role goes back to Title V of the
Social Security Act, which established a system for states to provide care for children
with special health care needs starting in 1935. Programs include case management of children
with special health care needs, such as: the Massachusetts Genetics Program;
the Special Medical Fund; which helps when it has been determined that public and private
services are not available to the child. The Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund;
Masstart (Mass. Technology Assistance Resource Team); and MassCare
(Mass. Community AIDS Resource Enhancement Program) are also family-oriented
health programs, while the Office on Health and Disability (OHD) seeks to improve the health and
well being of persons of all ages with disabilities in Massachusetts.

Within this division, the Special Supplemental Food Program for
Women, Infants, and Children, more commonly known by its acronym, WIC was
designed to improve the nutritional content of the participants' diet, both
while they are enrolled in the program and when they no longer receive WIC
services. It provides access to nutritious foods via vouchers; nutrition
education and counseling; and health care referrals to women, infants, and
children less than five years of age who are at medical or nutritional risk. The
Growth and Nutrition Program funds seven clinics across the state to evaluate
and treat children with Failure-to-Thrive. The program was established by the
legislature to evaluate and treat children with severe under-nutrition, or
failure-to-thrive, which results in both growth and social development delays.
Services include home visitation, collaborative community-based outreach
projects, provider training, research and advocacy

The Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention
Program is a statewide program composed of state, regional and local
initiatives. MTCP emphasizes the prevention/cessation of tobacco use through
programs and materials that address the reduction and prevention of youth
smoking, workplace smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.

The Office of Organ Transplant
Services develops health policies regarding organ transplant issues; serves as a
liaison to donation agencies; and administers the Organ Transplant Fund, which
receives contributions through Massachusetts Income Tax Returns. The Organ
Transplant Fund was established to assist residents of the Commonwealth with the
costs of medically approved transplants. Organ transplants to be covered
include: heart, lung, liver, heart-lung, kidney, pancreas and bone marrow.
Patients assisted by the Fund must be Massachusetts residents with a functioning
transplant and must not be eligible for other forms of assistance. All
contributions received by the Fund assist patients with the cost of medications
without which they might lose their transplanted organs. When appropriate the
Fund also assumes the cost of insurance premiums providing medication coverage.
In keeping with its health policy responsibilities, OTS also works closely with
the Determination of Need Program in monitoring compliance on conditions of
approval of transplantation programs in the Commonwealth.